


The Price Paid

by LeeK0n



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: M/M, Mute Link, Mute!Link, Mutual Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, ganlink, relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:07:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24381025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeK0n/pseuds/LeeK0n
Summary: What price would you pay for the safety of your people, and what would you be willing to sacrifice for it?
Relationships: Ganondorf/Link (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 266





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a rewrite of a past project that I have since deleted, since I have fallen in love with the idea of mute!Link. There will definately be some FUCKIN' later down the line, but not immeadiately. Gotta build that trust, lol.

When history repeats itself over and over again, nobody wins. Not a single soul. In Hyrule, many innocents would lose their lives, and in return the chosen hero and princess of Hyrule would destroy Ganondorf. 

So when Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo’s, offered up a way for the cycle to break, the cowardly king of Hyrule accepted. The Hylian King was convinced that, no matter what the legends said, there would be no stopping Ganon. He could not trust his own subjects, could not trust the “chosen hero”, and many felt that he did not trust his own daughter either. 

“A needed sacrifice” he stated to his people, who were uneasy about the entire idea. “You will all be safe, at the cost of this young man.” 

No one knew what the princess thought of this. She was never brought out to see her own future subjects. The most anyone saw of her was her hand, as she was taken around the country of Hyrule, extending her hand to those who either volunteered to be the willing sacrifice, or were found and forced too. It was not long until, in Kakariko Village, one of the villagers directed the royal guardsmen to a young man living there, who bore a striking resemblance to the hero of legend. 

Link thought back bitterly to the moment he had touched the princesses hand. How the triforce of courage glowed upon the back of his own, and from then on, he was treated roughly. They had seen the shock in his face, they must have seen the fear flash in his eyes. He had been bundled away quickly from his home, and dressed in the tunic that matched that of the ancient heroes.

And here he sat, in a rickety wagon that was built more like a cell, his anger growing more by the day. 

He remembered being forced in front of the crowds, and how it was announced that he, who held the triforce of courage, had willingly offered himself, how he agreed with the King. His life for those of Hyrule, it was a fair trade. Even if he had found strength to protest…. It’s not like he could have, or that anyone would have listened. 

The lush fields of hyrule transformed into sands, the days growing hot while the nights were bitter cold. And when the day came, while the sun was still high, the wagon jolted to a stop. Link lurched along with his stomach, unable to catch his fall. They hadn’t wanted him running away, so his wrists were bound to a post, like a common prisoner. 

“He’s in here?” he heard a woman’s voice say, it was full of authority. 

“Yes, Ma’am. I guarantee he’s the one who holds the triforce, I’m sure your king will be able to prove that as well.” 

There was some more conversation that Link didn’t hear, as the door swung open and he blinked in the harsh hot sun. Rough hands fumbled with his wrists before nearly dragging him out of what had been his home for the past few days. 

If the gerudo women had anything to say about the rough treatment, they didn’t say, though they narrowed their eyes and looked at eachother. 

Link did his best to stand tall, glaring at them all in equal measure but he could feel his stomach doing flips. 

Not given a chance to fight, not given a chance to prove himself. 

Thrown out like last night’s dinner, unwanted, and unable to comprehend what Ganon would do to him. He could barely listen to the continued conversation around him as his mind kept reaching darker and darker thoughts. 

Of course his first thought was torture. Maybe he would be left tied in the middle of the desert, to die slowly from the heat and thirst, or until the vultures decided to pick at him. Maybe given a mock sword and forced to try and fight Ganon for his own amusement. 

“Hey, You.” he jerked upward, staring at the Gerudo who had placed a hand on his shoulder. He just now noticed the Hyrule guards and wagon walking away, leaving new trails in the sand. 

“They told us your name is Link. Come, this way.” Link turned to finally take a look at the Gerudo Village that he had been dropped off at. His new prison, and possibly, his last destination in his life. 

The sandstone walls were built high, with Gerudo civilians watching as he was lead through. Just as he had heard, they were all women. The whispering followed them the entire way. 

“Forgive them.” the woman said, who was leading him. “They have never seen a Voe, aside from our king. You spark curiosity in them, especially the young.” Link gave a small grunt, glancing down at a child that was gazing up at him with giant eyes.  
He felt another pang for home, where he would play with the local children often. Their parents always appreciated that he kept them out of trouble. He hadn’t even been allowed to say goodbye to any of them. 

As they approached the largest structure in the town, Link felt an odd sense of foreboding, Quite different from the growing anxiety he had felt before. His welcome here had not been what he had expected. He sort of expected things to be thrown at him, or jeering yells. But it had been quiet, with the occasional whisper. The entire time, the woman leading him had kept a firm, yet gentle hold on his shoulder. His face felt hot with anxiety again as he thought, perhaps, they were trying to coax him into a sense of ease. 

He wouldn’t let them, he stiffened as they entered what had to be Ganondorf's fortress. He would remain on guard, and he would put up a fight to the very end, whatever it was that Ganondorf had in store. 

The inside was much cooler than the outside, and Link had to hold back the sigh of comfort, as across the hall sat Ganondorf himself. 

Tall, imposing, his mane of red hair, his fiery red eyes glinting in the torch lit room. 

“So… Fate has brought us face to face, yet again.” he said, with a deep growl, and a smile growing on his lips. “You probably have many things you want to say to me, little hero.” 

He stood up, and crossed the hall towards him, each step seemingly enunciated. 

“So I will allow you to say them, speak as you wish, and then I shall say my piece. Some diplomacy in these troubled times.” Link glared up at him, and then looked down at his wrists, still bound. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. 

“You there, cut these for him. Allow him his hands.” Link clenched them into fists as a woman approached and sliced the ropes deftly, letting the scraps fall to the floor. Link stood still for a bit longer, before standing up straight once again. 

He looked Ganondorf directly in the eyes, before signing, “What are you planning to do with me?”. It was a question he had had on his mind the entire time, and he may as well ask. However, Ganondorf didn’t seem to get the memo. Link repeated the signed gesture again. And again. Ganondorf seemed confused now, which made Link feel a sudden urge to laugh, seeing that large face unable to understand him. 

“What is this, Boy? Use your words!” he said, his voice booming. 

“I am!” Link retaliated, his signing growing more frantic. 

“My King…” one of the warriors approached him, and whispered in his ear. Just loud enough for Link to catch it. “He’s using Hyrulian Sign Language.” 

Link nodded furiously. 

“He’s mute.”


	2. What will happen to me now?

Apparently, the “Great King” Ganondorf didn’t know how to deal with someone he couldn’t talk with in a “normal” fashion, Link thought angrily, grunting as the Gerudo doctor pulled his mouth open and peered down into his throat with a light. 

He had been bundled off into a different area and stripped down to his skivvies, the tunic taken away.

“We’ll dispose of this, it won’t do you any good in the desert.” the servant had said, before he was left alone in the room with the physician. While at first he had been mortified, she was so matter of fact about her job that soon his embarrassment faded into disgruntlement. 

He rubbed his jaw as she let him go, and took some notes on a clipboard, muttering something under her breath, but then it was unceremoniously wrenched open again. 

“Please try and talk.” she said briskly, and Link narrowed his eyes, before making a few grunts. This felt strangely like the bullying he would receive as a child, after his accident. How they would try and goad him into saying something and then laugh when he could only make a few noises in response, nothing resembling a spoken language. 

He felt a wave of relief as she made no signs of finding his attempts at words amusing though, and instead frowned and took a few more notes. 

“Can you write down what caused your affliction?” she asked, handing him a pad of paper and quill. Link raised an eyebrow and jerked his head before nodding. “It’s alright if it's hylian, I can read it quite well.” 

Link gave another grunt, before beginning to write. Until he felt something ice cold on his back and gave a small yelp. Now was her time to give a small laugh. 

“I’m just checking your heartbeat. I am instructed to give you a physical, the subject of your inability to speak was only just added to my tasks.” Link exhaled through his nose sharply, but continued to write as best he could around her poking and prodding. 

He could still remember the day clearly, playing out in the forest as a young child when he was attacked by a bokoblin. How the claws sank into his neck and he was only just dragged away by a frantic neighbor who had heard his yells. 

He had been bedridden for weeks, and was even limited in how much he could move his head or neck.   
“You’re lucky to be alive, so bear with it for a while longer.” the doctor had told him, keeping a close eye on him as he lay there silently. And when he was finally able to get up, he found that he could no longer speak as he used too. Sign language was something he began to depend on, and many people in kakariko village took to learning at least some important signs, so that they could understand him. 

He handed the notepad back to the doctor when he finished, and she looked it over shortly. 

“I could have surmised as much, the scar tissue on your vocal chords is astronomical, and there's no way I could safely restore it…” Link gave a grunt, and then quickly moved to cover himself as someone opened the door. 

“Master Ganondorf has sent you some more reasonable clothes for the desert.” Link peered in suspicion at the sirwal in her hands, and short tunic both made from the same airy blue material. 

The doctor politely looked away as Link pulled them on. A perfect fit, it was almost like they were made just for him… He had an odd feeling that they were. 

“I’ll see you back to Ganondorf, he’s in his study awaiting my results.” the Doctor said, a stoic and professional look on her face. Link just nodded, feeling the swishy type material, and looking closer at it realized that it was the same material he saw all the Gerudo wearing. 

The walk to Ganondorf’s study gave Link time to think. Ganondorf had had a doctor look him over, clothes prepared and possibly even made just for him, and rather than a speech about how his death would serve him well, he had been asked to speak first. 

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that these weren’t the actions of someone who wished him harm. But he still had no idea what Ganondorf would want from him then, if not to kill him and get him out of the way. 

And the only way it seemed he could ask was if he wrote it down. Would that be his life from now on? Writing things down everytime he wanted to speak? Would he even be allowed to do that? Suddenly, Link felt terribly alone. No one here could understand his signs. He began to pick at his nails, feeling himself become both miserable and nervous. 

Lost in his thoughts, he hadn’t realized that they had arrived at Ganondorf’s study. Ganondorf was seated behind a large desk, writing things down when he looked up. 

“Well? How is he?” The Doctor flipped through her notes, and Link listened as she spoke in her same professional manner. 

“He’s strong and healthy, the signs of a boy-” Link couldn’t help the snort he gave at that. Boy? The doctor continued talking. “Who has eaten well his life, as well as gotten plenty of exercise and rest. As for his voice…” Link closed his eyes as she explained it. 

“He has a lot of scar tissue among his vocal chords, as well as parts of the muscles there missing or damaged. He can make noises but he will never be able to speak like we do. I suggest you learn Hylian sign language.” Link gave a snort of amusement, and with that, she snapped her notes closed and left. Her job was done. 

Now there was silence. Ganondorf was staring down at his desk, apparently lost in thought. Link stared at him, before clearing his throat. Ganondorf didn’t seem to hear him. He frowned and moved forward. 

“You can understand me, so I will speak first.” Ganondorf stood up. “Any questions you have, you can write down for now…. I will see too, finding a way so we can converse on equal footing.” Link nodded, standing up straight and readying himself for some long and winding speech. Ganondorf turned around and looked out his window, holding his hands behind his back. 

“You know that the King of Hyrule, in his infinite “wisdom”” Ganondorf spat out wisdom as if it were mud. “Gave you up to me, as a part of a deal. I would not attack Hyrule if I had you.” Link nodded, even though Ganondorf couldn’t see. 

“I never threatened an attack. Your king is a cowardly old man, and seemed to suspect that… since I am king of the gerudo’s, and hold the triforce of power, I am destined to want his land. To destroy his kingdom. He’s wrong though. True, Power can be intoxicating. It can drive a person to want more and more… But, in good hands. Power can be used to protect those weaker than you.” 

“Your king has been secretly sending attacks and spies upon Gerudo trade routes for a while now, and from what I could reveal, he was determined to attack us before we could attack him. He was afraid of an attack that would never come.” Link made a noise of surprise, and then narrowed his eyes. Ganondorf turned to look at him. 

“You are right to not believe me. After all, it was my doing that had soldiers kick down your door, drag you from your home, and bring you here, where no one would understand you. They dressed you up like the hero of time, expecting me to be some sort of savage who wanted his gift wrapped up pretty before he destroyed it… And for that, I…” 

The Gerudo king suddenly looked like he had something stuck in his throat, and he looked away. 

“I apologize… I did it to protect my people, for if I did nothing… I’m sure the king would have sent armies after us. And while I am confident we could hold him off, and even defeat him… the loss of innocent lives would bear heavily on me.” The Gerudo king turned back towards him. 

“I’m not asking you to trust me, or even obey my every command. I understand that we are as different as night and day, all I ask is that you understand why I did what I did.” Link stood for a moment, his eyes narrowed towards the floor as he thought this over. Ganondorf meanwhile, set down a piece of paper and a quill on his desk. 

“Any questions you have, you may ask now.” he said simple, and then sat back down to wait. Link stared at that blank piece of parchment for what seemed like an eternity before he picked up the quill. He only had one question, for now. 

“What will happen to me now?”


	3. a well deserved rest

“What will happen to me now?” was the only question on the paper that Link had slid towards Ganondorf, but he looked it over as if Link had written him an essay. 

“Well, you must understand I can’t just have you go back home…” Link looked away, though he expected that. If what Ganondorf had said was true, then who knew what would happen if he just showed up back home as if nothing happened. But this was making it sound like Ganondorf didn’t know what to do with him! Hadn’t he had days to think this over? Weeks possibly even? 

But what could he do? Back home he would often help with the children, but he didn’t think a gerudo mother would appreciate a strange hylian man interacting with her daughter.

“So I have decided you may work in my palace, tending to tasks. I have a room prepared for you-” he stopped as Link shot up straight and made a strangled sort of yell. Dragged halfway across Hyrule, made to fear for his life and thinking that he would be killed or tortured, and now that he was finally here…

He was to be made an errand boy?! He must have looked very pissed off because Ganondorf met him with a stern gaze. 

“Watch yourself, Boy.” the way he said “Boy” instantly made Link sink back and away, feeling suddenly ashamed for his outburst. “You may be a Hylian, and not of this land, but this land is mine, and I expect respect here as its king. That means no rude interruptions. Is that clear?” 

Link had nothing to argue, so he just nodded. 

“If you have a better idea of how you can be of use during your stay, I will hear it. But, I expect you to pull your weight in some shape or form.” Link thought for a second, and then looked up, making the sign for “Horses” without thinking. 

However, Ganon must have recognized the galloping motions he made across his palm, and made a guess at what Link was trying to get at. 

“Horses?” he grumbled, seeming still confused. Link nodded, walking past him to point out the window at the stables that were on the ground. Several horses were there, enjoying the shade of the palm trees. 

Link made motions like he was brushing his hair, and then pointed again.   
“You’d… like to care for the horses?” Ganon asked, slowly as if he was unsure. Link nodded again, looking hopeful. Ganondorf sat at his desk, letting out a deep sigh. 

“I already have people who look after the horses…” he began, and Link found himself drooping. 

Horses were his favorite animal. When he wasn’t watching children, he spent his time near the stables as often as he could, brushing their manes, bringing them apples and water. Horses didn’t care that he couldn’t talk. Their big doleful eyes spoke to him in a way no hylian or gerudo could. He felt that, if he could at least help care for the horses here then, he wouldn’t be so miserable. 

“Oh, alright.” Ganondorf suddenly said, standing up. “You can help with the horses, I’ll have someone keeping an eye on you to make sure you’re not mishandling them though.” Link brightened up, and, he couldn’t help himself, he smiled at the Gerudo King. Ganondorf didn’t return it though, and simply looked away. 

“As I said earlier… I have a room prepared for you, it should meet all your needs. There’s a servant waiting outside, her name is Folis. She will show you to your room.” and with that, he unceremoniously gestured for Link to leave. 

Folis, proved to be much more chatty than the previous Gerudo women Link had met. Maybe it was due to her youth, she seemed to be around his age. She kept blabbering on about everything she “knew” about Hylians. Some of it was correct, but Link found himself zoning out as she prattled on and on about how she knew that Hylians were just *really weird* Gerudo’s who hated the sand. Or how she heard from her grandmother that, Hylians always had a fairy companion and *Where was Link’s fairy?*. 

She seemed to know he couldn’t exactly reply in a way she could understand, but it didn’t seem to matter. She would just keep talking. He wondered if she bothered Ganondorf like this, and if she did… How did he treat her? Did he answer her questions calmly or with boredom? Did he find her amusing? 

Link began to realize he really did know nothing of Ganondorf. Only of what he had heard. The legends stated that he would try to rule through violence, or destroy the world. How he couldn’t get enough power. If he came up at all during topics of conversation, he was regarded with fear and mistrust. 

Yet… At least with what he had seen so far. This Ganondorf didn’t seem to wish for any of that. He seemed content… happy even, ruling over the Gerudo. 

The idea that this was all a ploy in order for Link to let his guard down came across his mind again, but this time, it hit him with an odd sense of guilt as well. Was he misjudging Ganondorf, based only on the past of his reincarnations? He tapped Folis in the shoulder, and gestured back to ganondorf, before raising his shoulders and hands and making several other gestures to try and get his question across. 

“Do you… Want to know Ganon’s favorite food?” she queried. Link shook his head and tried again. This went on for a while, with her questions about what he was trying to say getting more ludicrous until, 

“Oh! You want to know if Ganondorf is single!” Link gave a short yell and frantically shook his head, his arms, everything in order to tell her that that most certainly was NOT what he meant, but she didn’t seem to pay attention. 

“I can’t blame you, he is the only male Gerudo. Oh but, I guess you're a man too… anyways, Ganondorf doesn’t seem to have anyone he’s courting. He’s probably what my perfect man would be like though! He acts so tough and uncaring, but I know that he really is a big softie, I once caught him setting out a bowl of water and food for a stray dog that wandered near the palace. He told me not to tell anyone though!, which is great! He trusts me to keep his secrets!” Folis continued to talk on and on. 

Now Link was just exhausted. He had no idea how to deal with someone who just talked so much, he almost wished that instead of her, Ganondorf had had another soldier escort him. 

His room was in the basement of the castle, though despite Folis stating that “Ganondorf is sorry you have to be down here but we had no room anywhere else”, Link was relieved. The air was a lot cooler down here, and he enjoyed the sandy musty smell. 

The room that had been set up for him appeared to have been an old storage room at one point. There were still a few barrels full of cactus fruit and hydromelons in the corner. There was a window high up, near the ceiling that let in a bit of light, just the last rays of the evening sun. Link fell onto the bed, which was surprisingly soft and felt like it was brand new. He kicked the blankets off of it, why the hell would he need those? He was going to enjoy the coolness of the basement as long as he could, sprawled out in a spread eagle fashion. 

“This is no time to rest… You need to start planning.” a voice in his head said.   
“Plan for what?” Link thought to himself, peeling off the clothes he had been given earlier and rolling over. If Ganondorf was lying to him… and something awful waited ahead. He would deal with it then. He was suddenly exhausted after so many nights of restlessness and anxiety. He felt he deserved to rest for now.


	4. A happy horse means a happy Link

Ganondorf eased himself back into his chair behind the desk as Link left, and he found himself smiling at himself as he heard Folis almost immediately begin to bombard him with chatter. Yes, she had always been talkative, less so with him but he found he enjoyed it. It was nice that, even in times of rough, someone such as herself could find amusement in almost anything and talk endlessly about it. 

He looked down at the paperwork on his desk, and then back at the letter he had received from the king shortly before Link’s arrival. He had only glanced at it at the time, to confirm that they had in fact, found the hero and were sending him. He narrowed his eyes and picked it back up, the royal seal, though torn, still prominent on it. 

“High Gerudo King Ganondorf, 

We have found the one who holds the triforce of courage. He is the strong yet silent type, and has accepted his place to come to you as a sacrifice for our greater good. In agreement, I will have any and all Hylian there under my orders pulled from the land. We will have him dressed in what the hero of legends wore, not only to identify him, but so you may enact your revenge on a subject that-” 

Ganondorf stopped reading there, and tossed the letter aside with a snort. It made sense now. They had expected him to torture, maim, and kill the man they sent. He supposed he knew that all along, but this was confirmation. They had wrapped his present up, and shoved him into it. 

“Strong and silent”, what a lie. Yes, courage shown in the boy. He had seen it in the way he had forced himself to stand up straight, meet his eyes, and face him head on despite the way his knees shook and his breathing hitched. 

Hardly a man, they had sent him a boy terrified for his life, unable to even speak his woes to them. And yet that same boy through it all held strong, and had not let a single tear fall, hiding his fear as best he could. 

Link captivated him for that reason, and he was concerned with how easily he had given into the boy's wishes when he asked to tend to the Horses. Ganondorf already had several people caring for the horses, another body would be more of a hindrance than a blessing. But seeing how he had dropped, and looked absolutely miserable had reminded him of a kicked puppy. 

It didn’t matter, he would call for several of the horse attendants and let them know that their duties would be changing. If Link was not up to the task, then he could easily reassign them. 

His paperwork and sending for people to speak too and hear reports took him into the night, his dinner brought to him at his desk as usual. That familiar nighttime desert chill crept into the walls as he finished his work and retired to his chambers, and found himself looking forward to how Link would handle himself in the morning. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link stroked the horse’s nose gently, making some soft clicking noises with his tongue. He found himself smiling again as it shook its head and whinnied, before allowing Link to begin brushing its coat. 

This had been his routine with every horse so far, as they had never seen him before. He felt it best to build up a little trust at first before he got to work. The desert dust caught in the horses coat plumed out in clouds as Link brushed carefully, paying attention to each stroke. He was well aware of the eyes on him from the other workers, who were busying themselves with cleaning the stalls. 

This horse was his favorite looking by far, with a chestnut coat and white markings. It was the calmest yet, accepting his presence nearly immediately. Link hummed to himself as he felt its silky coat, before kneeling down to begin checking its hooves for stones. Once the horse was groomed, he snuck a glance at the name written on in the plaque near its stall. 

“Epona”, he mouthed. 

“Master Ganondorf bought that horse from a stable in Hyrule” one of the stable workers said, passing by. “He’s too big to ride her, but I think he enjoyed her appearance.” 

Link nodded, giving her one last pat on the head before heading to the next stall. 

“Oh- You don’t need to bother with that horse.” the stable hand placed a hand on his shoulder and Link looked at her quizzically. “That’s Master Ganondorf’s horse. He won’t let anyone else touch him, we’ve nearly lost fingers feeding him. Don’t worry, he’ll be down after his lunch to feed him and groom him.” 

Link glanced inside at the jet black horse, its mane a fiery red. It seemed to be glaring at him, and it snorted, pawing at the ground. Link narrowed his eyes right back, and waved the woman’s hand off before jumping the gate. 

“If you insist… don’t say we didn’t warn you.” she said, though she and the other stable hands had stopped to watch him as he slowly approached the horse, making that same clicking noise with his tongue. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ganondorf felt that it was a very nice day, for the desert. It was hot, yes, but there was little wind to blow the sand everywhere. After lunch, he took to caring for his own horse. It refused to let anyone but him touch it, and he had personally seen those who got too close carted off moaning in pain from the kick or bite it could give. 

But what he saw in the stable yard stopped him dead in his tracks. Link’s back was turned to him, as he held a large bucket of water up to Ganondorf’s own steed. 

“Master Ganondorf!” a stablehand greeted him, “We tried to warn him but he insisted he care for your horse as well.” Ganondorf heard Link let out what sounded like a wheezy laugh as the horse tossed its head, splashing him with water. 

“Has he… been doing well?” he asked, keeping a close eye in case he should need to intervene. 

“Better than expected. He brushed all the horses, checked their hooves for stones, and their teeth for any signs of ill health. He must be rather experienced with them, he didn’t need any pointers.” Ganondorf nodded, before beginning to approach his own horse and Link. 

Only when he got close did Link turn around to meet his gaze, and Ganondorf had to stop himself from letting out a shout of laughter. 

Through his toothy grin, Link was sporting a very large, hoof shaped bruise that nearly covered his entire face, some dried blood trickling down his nose. Link’s grin faded as he saw that it was Ganon, and he raised a finger to point at his injury, before jerking a thumb back to the large black horse behind him, and then cocked his head with a raised eyebrow. Ganondorf also noticed his hand wrapped in bandages, blood soaked. He had been bitten as well. 

“Despite this, I managed to tame him” Link seemed to be saying, standing proud as Ganondorf's steed began to nibble on his blonde locks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been able to reply to all the comments, but I am extremely grateful for all your compliments! I hope you enjoy the story as I continue it. 
> 
> I feel a need to introduce myself, I'm Lee, I go by they/them, and there's nothing I love more than writing ganlink. I used to write a lot of porn, but I decided to challenge myself with a slow burn type fanfic here, though I'm not very good at slow burn and we can already see some chemistry lol. 
> 
> I have a twitter that I post to occasionally, which you can find here~ https://twitter.com/LeeK0n 
> 
> Feel free to follow me there and chat with me~


	5. No swimming in the bath

A week had passed since Link had been unceremoniously dumped here, and he still found himself marveling at times that he wasn’t dead. This train of thought was often followed by a strange sense of guilt. From what he observed thus far, Ganondorf was far from the sadistic and harsh king he was thought of in Hyrule. And yet again, that voice in his head would return. 

“Link… You need to prepare, Ganondorf is taking advantage of you.” and everytime he heard the voice, he would push it away. He, of all people, should know when he was being taken advantage of. And it wasn’t like his stay was unpleasant, aside from not being able to communicate properly with anyone. 

He got up in the morning, ate breakfast with the other manor workers listening idly to their conversation, before going to care for the horses all day. Dinner would follow the same pattern as breakfast, albeit was a little longer as this was the chance to relax, before many would go off to bathe and spend their last waking hours in leisure. 

Speaking of bathing… Link had learned not to go early with the others. Since Gerudo were a race of all women, aside from Ganondorf, they saw no need for individual bathes. Link only had to live once through the embarrassment of being surrounded by women as he tried to bathe. They didn’t mind his presence, in fact many offered him help where he didn’t need it as a chance to ask him “yes or no” questions about Hyrule. But it had all been too much for him to handle, and his face still burned at the memory. 

So instead, he waited until quite late in the night to sneak off to the bathe, and revelled in having it all to himself. And as of right now, he was just walking into the bathroom, slowly looking around to make sure he was completely alone before staring across the blue-green waters. After mucking around with horses, having sand and dust blown into any spaces it could find, a bath was extremely welcoming. 

Link sighed as he sunk into the waters, a wonderful luke warm that felt like a refreshing spring breeze compared to the scorching hot outdoors. He let himself sink in upto his chin, his eyes closed as he felt all the dust and dirt rinse off. The lack of people here also meant it was okay for him to just relax and enjoy himself, and he let himself float to the surface of the water. 

The bath was so big that it was almost like a pool, and he couldn’t help but turn himself around to swim just a little, until he a gruff voice from behind made him stop in his tracks and send a shiver up his spine. 

“Don’t you know it's bad manners to swim in the bath?” Link turned around quickly, before losing his balance and falling backwards, struggling to stand up for a few moments.   
Ganondorf stood there, and despite his rough tone Link thought he caught a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

And oh god, he was naked.

As soon as he stood up, now drenched completely from his fall, Link turned around and made his way to the other end of the bathtub. 

He would just wash up now as quickly as possible and leave, he thought to himself. The water stirred as Ganondorf got into the water as well. Link was determined not to look back at him. Even if… perhaps, it was a little tempting too. 

Ever since he was old enough to know what attraction was, Link had found his eyes wandering to other boys his age. And, he had to admit it… Ganondorf was a “perfect specimen” as the older ladies in Kakariko Village would have put it. He was a very large man, but he was in no way unhealthy. No, thick corded muscles made up his entire body, and- 

Link shook himself, feeling himself growing red as he continued to think like that. No, he would NOT be thinking in that sort of manner about the king of the Gerudo. Instead, he reached for a bar of soap and washcloth and began to hurriedly wash himself. 

He felt like Ganondorf was staring holes into his back though, and it made him more and more nervous. He chanced a look back and… 

Ganondorf wasn’t looking at him at all, in fact, he was relaxing just as he had been. Link looked away again, slowing down his frantic washing. His imagination was getting the better of him. If Ganondorf was relaxing then… maybe he could too. He sunk back down into the water, folding his arms over the side of the tub and resting his head on them. 

He soon forgot about Ganondorf almost entirely, and resumed his slow washing of himself, making sure he was completely rid of dirt and sweat before he (tightly) tied a towel around his waist and went to leave. 

If Ganondorf made any notice of him since those initial few words, he made no word of it, he was now drying himself off… Near the doorway out. 

Link felt the need to steel himself as he made his way past him, focusing his eyes on the door. As soon as he made it out, he thought to himself, he’d be free. Free of what, he wasn’t sure, but he just needed to get there. 

And his feet betrayed him again, suddenly sliding on the slick surface of the tiles. Failing to catch his balance, Link felt himself plummet towards the hard tile floors and braced himself for the sickening crack of his head on the tile, along with the sharp, yet dull pain that would come with it. 

But it never came, instead, a large hand held his back while another had grabbed hold of his arm, preventing him from ever hitting the ground. 

“Be careful, the floor is slippery here.” Ganondorf said, in that same deep growl. And again… Link was sure he saw a hint of that mischievous twinkle in his eyes. Link sat there, stunned for a moment before he found his ability to move again and stood back up, leaving in a hurry, and this time, making sure not to slip again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ganondorf watched the Hylian leave, and allowed himself a small smile. What a clumsy child. He resumed drying himself, thinking of everything he had gotten done that day. But his thoughts kept drifting back to Link. 

He hadn’t expected the Hylian to be in the bathroom this late, though perhaps he was avoiding bathing with the other women. But still, he had gotten a good look, and discovered that what he once thought was a skinny child was, well, nothing other than a man. Just a small one, even by Hylian standards. 

Link had a toned and flat stomach, and his thighs and arms were muscular, probably from tending to horses his entire life. And the shock on his face and on his blue eyes when he realized Ganondorf was behind him had been quite the amusing sight. 

Ganondorf had to shake it from his mind though, even in the short time he had been able to look at Link, those features had been burned into his mind, and he had forced himself to not look at Link any longer afterwards, as much as his mind seemed to want too. 

And, he refused to even acknowledge what these desires meant, he would not allow himself too, as he feared that may complicate it even more.


	6. The things we do for a good time

“Dear Link, 

High King Ganondorf has received your request to be able to leave the Manor, though he did mention that he never said you could not. However, after some thinking on the topic, he has come to the conclusion that it would be unwise of you to wander the streets of Gerudo town for a few reasons. 

One is that we receive hylian visitors now and again, and if they saw you he is unsure on what the King of Hyrule would do with this news, as it would eventually reach him. The second, and more important of the two, is that you are a man. Ganondorf does not want to cause any unrest among his people here in Gerudo town, and he believes a hylian man wandering the streets of a town that is a sanctuary for women, could cause confusion, shock and nervousness.

He thanks you for asking first, and for your obedience, and hopes you enjoy your weekend off here. Enclosed is your allowance, as is due for your caring of the manor horses.” 

Link stared down at the letter for a few minutes, sitting on his bed, annoyance bubbling up in him. They had all seen him arrive! What was the harm in him going out again? It’s not like they didn’t know he was here, alive. He then looked down at the small sum of rupees in his palm. 50 to be exact. He sighed, pocketing it and laying on his back to stare at the ceiling. 

As he had been notified, he had been given the weekend off from his usual caring of horses. He had felt it was best for him to ask Ganondorf if he could leave the manor, seeing as he was never told he couldn’t, but also was never told he could. He regretted it now, he should have just left, and let Ganondorf deal with it later. 

He got up now, pacing around the room now. Over the week, it had become steadily more clean, with the barrels that previously contained Cactus fruit and hydromelons moved out and someplace else, possibly to the kitchens. 

Outside, he heard the faint bustling of the regular town activity. Shouts of what was for sale, conversation between women, children playing. He had a sudden yearning to join them, to hopefully regain just a smidgen of normalcy. Like what he had back in Kakariko village. 

And suddenly, the idea came to him. It was stupid, extremely stupid. It probably wouldn’t work at all, yet… If it did work… Link turned around and walked to the door, leaving his room. Slowly, very slowly, he made his way down to the Laundry room. The anxiety of his plan, rather than deter him, only fueled him in this moment. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link was pressed against a building, hiding in the shadow of it. It had been… difficult, to find some in his size, yet, he had managed too. 

A woman’s sirwal, along with a matching top, and to play it safe, a veil to hide his face. All in a matching teal color. He wondered briefly who it belonged to, before slipping it on and sneaking out of the manor. And now he was here, in an abandoned alley in gerudo town. 

He had to admit, the clothing was extremely comfortable in the desert sun. But, would it do its job of passing him off as a woman? He had checked himself over again and again, and he felt that possibly, if one didn’t look too closely… 

Link’s nerves were beginning to get the better of him, and he took a deep breath. If he snuck around, it would cause suspicion. He had to be confident, act like he was supposed to be here. 

And with that, he took one step out of the shadows, and then another. And soon, he was walking through the streets of Gerudo town, marvelling at the sights. 

“Oh my!” He stiffened, hearing a voice in his direction. He turned around slowly, ready to be given the boot out or, possibly beaten up by a gang of angry ladies. 

“A Hylian vai! How rare!” The gerudo woman looked positively enchanted with him, and Link felt himself blush and moved to hide his face. “Oh, how adorable, are you shy? I’ll leave you to your sight seeing then, Sav’orq!” 

And with that, she walked away, leaving Link blushing in the middle of the street. But, a sudden excitement thrummed in his chest as well. It had worked! He looked around, and while others were looking at him, it wasn’t out of suspicion, but out of mere curiosity. 

Link heaved a heavy sigh of relief, before adjusting his viel and continuing on his way. The doors to a day of entertainment had been opened suddenly to him, and he intended to use it to its full advantage. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the sun set, Link made his way back to the Manor. Honestly, most of his day had been spent just watching people go about their tasks. A woman making jewelry, another tending to sand seals, and children playing games he had never heard of. He had even been able to order a drink, keeping up the act of just being too shy to speak, it had passed quite well and he was able to enjoy a blend of Cactus fruit and Hydromelon juice. 

Despite the day being so relaxed, he found himself exhausted as the day came to a close. Sneaking back into the Manor was an easy enough task, waiting for the guard to turn her back before quickly scaling the wall, and then making his way to the back entrance. He took off his viel, sighing in satisfaction before looking back at the sun setting over town. 

And then he bumped into something large. Link froze as he heard the unamused growl, and slowly turned his head to look back. He hadn’t been looking where he was going, if he had… 

He would have seen Ganondorf himself, standing in the hall, looking extremely displeased. 

“So… The mysterious Hylian Vai, that everyone in town has been talking about, shows herself to me.” he said, and while his town was light, there was bitterness behind every single word. Link couldn’t detect even a small sparkle of amusement in those cold red eyes, the hard stare felt like a dagger piercing Links chest. 

“Run…” the voice in Link’s head said, and for once he didn’t ignore it, or try to argue with it. He whipped around and tried to make his escape, back out the door he came from- 

But he was stopped almost immediately, by a large hand grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. Ganondorf lifted Link up like he was no more than a couple of grapes, and Link felt a sudden whinge of nausea as he hallway spun before his eyes. 

Link hadn’t been so scared since his first day here, but now that fear was back full force. It made his heart thrum in a fast steady beat, his body breaking out in a cold sweat as adrenaline pumped through his veins. Ganondorf had thrown him over his large shoulder, and was walking him back to his room. 

It suddenly dawned on him. He could have easily escaped today. He could have walked out that front gate so easily, waving to the guards even as he passed them by. He could have been free… 

His thoughts were broken by the opening of the door to his room, and Ganondorf, who was not even trying to be gentle, tossed Link unceremoniously to the floor, in what was pure opposite of the way he had caught him from falling the other day in the bath. 

“I bet you’re feeling pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you, Boy?” Ganondorf snarled, standing over him like a lion would stand over its prey. Link tried to match that glare as evenly as he could. 

“Not only did you disobey my simple rule, you disobeyed the law of this town. You played with the trust of the inhabitants, you-” 

Link began to drown out Ganondorf’s angry tones now, looking away. Sure, he felt a little guilty about what he had done at first, but now it was starting to pile up. There were reasons men weren’t allowed in Gerudo town. At least part of it was a tradition to their people, a tradition he had disrespected. 

“You’re lucky I don’t lock you up down here for breaking the laws of our home, even though it’s half my mind to do so!” Ganondorf finally paused in his rant to take a deep breath. “Now, Do you have anything to say for yourself?!” Link looked back up at Ganondorf, and shook his head. 

All the words he wanted to say were on the edge of his tongue, but his scarred up throat would never allow them too. Ganondorf seemed to be waiting for something else though, his stare directed at Links hand.

A small bit of hope blossomed in Links chest, and slowly he began to sign. 

“I’m sorry…” he paused, before continuing. “I should have listened to you.” Ganondorf let out a long sigh. 

“... very well, you are forgiven… I expect those clothes to be returned though, Folis has been shrieking all day saying she can’t find them.”

Link wasn’t paying attention though. His mind was focused on one thing. 

Ganondorf was learning Hylian sign language…. Ganondorf could understand him.


	7. Memories

A week of looking at awful little drawings in a dusty old book, and how far had it gotten him? 

“I’m sorry.” was all he had managed to grasp Link had said, the rest he hadn’t understood in the slightest, but took it to mean something along the lines of “listen to you” since he had cupped his ear and pointed at Ganondorf. That, along with the look of guilt on his face had been a satisfactory enough apology. 

Ganondorf knew very well he couldn’t keep Link cooped up here forever, the boy had boundless amounts of energy. He would have to figure something out for the boy soon enough. 

Ganondorf sat in the chair in front of his desk, but rather than pay attention to his work, he was staring out the window down at the stables, watching Link taking a water break with the other workers. Although they couldn’t understand his sign language… They involved him in conversation it seemed, as he nodded and smiled at them. 

Ganondorf felt a strange sort of frustration build within him. He was the one studying that damned little book, yet it seemed his employees who just spent time with Link understood him far more. And why was he even doing this anyways? He could just continue to have Link write down what he needed to say if it was so important. 

At that idea, Ganondorf remembered something suddenly, a long ago memory.

He had just been crowned king of the Gerudo, and he had embarked on a traditional pilgrimage to meet each of the leaders of the other kingdoms. The Zora, Rito, and Goron’s had all treated him with a guarded sort of suspicion at first, much like anyone would treat a new leader. 

Yet… the kingdom of Hyrule had been a humiliating visit. He had learned Hylian but, at that point in his life, it was still rusty. He remembered the exchanged looks, the smirks that they barely bothered to hide as he talked. Just a boy then, he remembered the anger and shame, along with the hot flash of embarrassment he had felt at the time. 

And now, Link was here, alone with no one who understood the language he spoke with his hands. And Link was unable to use any form of spoken language. With a sigh, Ganondorf went back to his paperwork. 

He really needed to stop brooding so much on these old memories and Link, even if it meant he could put off this boring paperwork for a while longer.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An invitation to having dinner with Ganondorf? Link had received the message from Folis that afternoon, soon after lunch. But not before she teased him endlessly about wearing her clothing to sneak out. 

“I really wish I could have gotten a look at you! I bet you looked good.” she had said, before running off before Link could respond in any way. 

Link now stood in front of Ganondorf’s private quarters, where he had been told that the king of gerudo’s often took his meals. His hand raised to knock, he was struck with nerves. This would be his first time face to face with Ganondorf since his lecture on sneaking out a few days before. He wondered if there was more of that in store for him. 

Not showing up at all would probably produce graver consequences though, so he gave a very light knock on the door. 

“Come in.” that familiar, deep gruff voice said. Link waited a few more seconds that felt like an eternity before sliding in. Ganondorf was standing with his back to Link, looking out the window over Gerudo town. Link took this chance to glance around the room. 

Another desk, a fireplace that was currently unlit, a few soft plush looking chairs, and a small dining table. 

As Ganondorf turned around, Link noticed he looked a bit uncomfortable. 

“I’m glad to see you made it.” he said, his voice was strained as if he were trying his absolute best to make it sound light and casual. Link waved, and then cocked his head, making a few simple signs. 

“You wanted to see me?” Ganondorf watched Link's hands, and then nodded. 

“Yes, and it was erhm.. About that.” Ganondorf moved towards the dinner table, and sat down, before gesturing for Link to take a seat too. 

Link was only a little surprised to see that Ganondorf appeared to eat the same thing as his manor staff. He didn’t strike him as a person who would want a large extravagant meal. 

“Erhm… I was told you enjoy Milk, so I had some brought up for you.” Ganondorf nodded towards the jug. 

And then there was silence, except for the clink of knives and forks. Long, awkward, and tense silence that made Link’s throat close up and his mouth dry, and despite the usual good food, it now tasted unappetizing. 

“... I have been attempting to learn Hylian sign language.” Again, Ganondorf was forcing himself to sound light and casual. It didn’t suit him at all, and he just looked uncomfortable. Link was beginning to think that Ganondorf had never held a casual conversation in his life. 

He suddenly pulled a book from his pocket, and handed it to Link. 

“Using this, I had it brought up from the library.” Link stared at the worn pages, and opened it up before letting out a bark of laughter. It was so old! Even he could barely understand it. Ganondorf clearly didn’t find the same amusement in it as he did though, and he just frowned, taking it back. 

“I see it is unsatisfactory… I’ll have it sent back.” Link hid his face in his glass of milk to try and stem his laughter. 

“Which is.. The reason I will be having you teach me.” 

The effort it took to not spit his milk all over Ganondorf was immense, harder than taming that giant wild horse. 

“What? Me?” he signed quickly, forgetting that Ganondorf’s grasp was only rudimentary. Ganondorf just nodded. 

“Yes I… I wish to communicate with you on equal footing, and… having you write down what you want to say all the time is quite unfair…” Link just continued to stare at him, thinking everything over. 

“It would only be for a while each afternoon once you're done caring for the horses.” Ganondorf went on, “unless of course, you would rather continue to write down what you want to say?” 

Link stopped staring now, and narrowed his eyes at his hands. 

“Alright…” he finally signed, nodding as well to show he agreed too. He felt he was agreeing to a giant mistake though. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hyrule sun was warm, but nothing compared to the scorching desert blaze, Ganondorf thought to himself as he and his entourage made their way back home finally after travelling for many weeks. He would be glad to be back home after the fiasco that had been meeting with the King of Hyrule. 

Barely understood, mocked behind his back, and when he asked to meet the princess of Hyrule, staunchly refused. 

“Whatever, Old Man…” he thought to himself. “You’ll be dead soon enough, and then I’ll meet her when she’s queen.” 

A small village was coming into view now, with children playing in the mid afternoon sun. 

“That is Kakariko Village, Master Ganondorf.” said one of his guards. Ganondorf just nodded absentmindedly. As they drew closer, the children noticed them and ran home to their mothers. Were they scared of him because he was a stranger? Or was it due to the fact he was a gerudo? He didn’t know. He found himself beginning to not care. 

If Hyrule didn’t want anything to do with him, then he would want nothing to do with Hyrule. 

“Hi, Mister!” Ganondorf broke away from his own thoughts to look down. 

One child hadn’t ran away, and was now jogging to keep pace with his horse. Bright blonde hair, big blue eyes, and a smile that was missing a few teeth, and no more than five years old. 

“Where are you from?” he asked, still smiling. Ganondorf realized the child wanted an answer. 

“... The Gerudo desert…” he said slowly, unsure of how the child would respond. 

“Wow… So you must be a Gerudo then! That’s so cool!” The child continued to keep pace, not even out of breath. 

“One day, I’m gonna visit the Desert! I wanna go all over Hyrule!” he said, now looking forward. 

A woman’s voice suddenly called out from the village somewhere. 

“Link? Link!” the boy skidded to a stop, looking back. 

“Oh… I gotta go now! But maybe we’ll meet again someday! I can tell you about everything I’ve seen and done! It's a promise!” the young boy named Link waved and ran off before Ganondorf could respond. 

And Ganondorf’s eyes snapped open from his dream, of a long forgotten memory. He sat up from his bed, holding a hand to his face. 

Of course… He had met Link before… Back when he could talk, before his voice was stolen from him. 

“I’ll tell you about everything I’ve seen and done! It’s a promise!” that small voice echoed in Ganondorf’s mind. 

… Did Link remember that promise?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few end notes for those who may be wondering, I want to say Ganondorf, since he was destined to be the Gerudo King since he was a male, probably became King at around 12/13 years old in this universe. This gives him and Link an age gap of around 7-8 years, with Link now being around 20 years old. 
> 
> Also, for all you Zelda fans, I have recently created a Grade A Shitpost, and you can find it here~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9mDNUhm_tI&t=44s


End file.
